Srisailam

The Nallamalai ranges of hills and forests extend all the way into Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. Amidst the thick forests lies one of the most famous temples in South India, the Bhramaramba Millikarjunaswamy temple at Srisailam, 235 kms from Hyderabad. The approach to the temple atop a range of hills is through thick forests. On the Rishabgiri Hill at the south bank of River Krishna is the temple housing one of the 12 'Jyotirlingas' in the country. The legend is that Vrishabha, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva performed penance on the hill and the Lord and his consort Parvati appeared before him in the form of Mallikarjuna and Bharamaramba.

Srisailam is also the venue of an engineering marvel in the form of a hydroelectric project across the River Krishna and the reservoir created by it houses crocodiles. In fact, the Srisailam wildlife sanctuary comprises areas in five districts of the State and is home to tigers, panthers and several wild animals. The Tourism Department conducts package tours from Hyderabad and runs a Guest House at Srisailam while the Devasthanam and other religious bodies too maintain Choultries. There are buses to Srisailam from the state capital as well as from the other important centres in the State.